They don't serve a plot relevant purpose, yet having reasons for certain things behind decisions in a story's universe can help get rid of those messy plot devices many stories use to cover up plot holes. IE: Setting is post-modern era where magic exists. People will question why people aren't using enchanted firearms instead of the swords/spears/axes/etc that they see. It serves little purpose to the plot, but adds to the lore. Attention to details like this is necessary. I'm not going to scrub them from the story I have so far, however--as they are already stated to exist. Unless it was some impossible-to-solve scenario where it was inexplicable [I've already come up with the solution], then I would consider scrubbing it, but the solution wasn't too hard to figure out. I believe my explanation perfectly fits in with my story's universe considering the laws it already exists by. I don't believe many are at odds as much as they're trying to come up with alternate solutions [something I actually asked for.]
In case anyone has missed it, the explanation for the disuse of firearms is as following: Every person has access to an ability called arcane block, which is simply just a forcefield that is easily used to defend against anything magic-based or projectile-based. It's basically akin to stamina, and depending on how strong the user is, the shield can vary in what it can and can't defend against. Since in this universe, magic has far more effects than normally considered in other stories, physical projectile weapons can't compare. An average man can defend against, say, 5 [hypothetical] magic-produced fire balls [or something like that], while they could most probably stand there for an hour or two defending against continuous firearms fire. Not to say that magic is that much more destructive, but only magic can truly do damage against magic. These arcane shields are not able to stop other people from entering, since they are separate living entities of their own. Ergo, one must be at such a close range, that using a firearm can be more of a detriment, considering there's little space and small arms often do not have the stopping power required to stop one before they can also inflict a fatal wound with a sword or spear or etc. Note that I'm not writing this to fully explain in the book, but only as a rule to write by, and rely on if an explanation needs to be made. It sure would be easier to just not do this, or say "firearms never existed", but it wouldn't work for continuity's sake. Having at least some explanation [obviously it's not going to make grounded and complete sense considering that it's--uh--magic] keeps the story down to base instead of having something be a way simply because the book says so, and without a remote explanation.
Which it has been pointed out that people can simply get into this bubble and use a gun, but also has been proven that people can still use snipers and long range weapons to kill people without them being aware. It has also been put forward by multiple people that firearms can be charged with magic to be used more efficiently. Look to the answer to the above part. Shotgun, that's all that needs be said really here but for more evidence that this wouldn't be a proper reason, you have hinted here that they are somewhat superhuman as far as instincts go and if that is true than it would be simple to do, well this: If you are going to make a "rule to write by" then it has to make sense for the universe or else whenever it comes up (as stated before) it will confuse the readers. Just because magic enters a world doesn't mean people will no longer look to science and technology to make their lives easier, it would simply be reworked to properly flow with everything else. New technology will come out in efforts to help magic users and magic in general, and weapons will be amped up in order to help soldiers and security guards, etc. Considering how many people have stated that it either doesn't make sense or that firearms would still be in major use it seems most people here can't get behind 'firearms not being used just for the sake of firearms not being used'. Your "explanation" is pretty much 'they just don't used them' instead of coming up with a really good reason. It's like me asking "hey I want to make everyone nomadic in my science fantasy universe, and the reason they are nomadic is just because everyone magically started walking faster." The "no guns" or "lack of guns" can be done but you would have to majorly rework your universe to fit it. If I wanted to really make people nomadic in a magic universe I could simply say "magic ripped open voids throughout continents that turned people into monsters and those few who could control it became gods, now people are always on the move to stay away from these voids and beasts and follow the herds for food." Basically what you need to find is you 'void'.
You'd be surprised how real the possibility is for a person with a sword to beat a person with a firearm in close quarters.
Kind of a blank meaningless comment but ok. I could equally say that you'd be surprised how real the possibility for someone to be blown away by a shotgun at point blank range is. The fact of the matter is you need to find your 'void' your legitimate reason for why all of a sudden firearms would drop off the map. And so far everything you've put forth has been proven to make little to no sense. If you want to write something that doesn't make sense then go ahead, nobody is stopping you. But it would be best for your readers to try and come up with a legitimate reason for there to be barely any guns otherwise they will be confused as to why there wouldn't be which is something that takes people out of good stories all the time (obvious plot holes that is). If you are going to ask a question don't ignore the answers because you think you did fine, legitimately look into the things people are saying and try to figure it out.
How about this arcane shield being some kind of kinetic shield? So that it repels anything automatically travelling at a certain speed. According to a quick google search a bullet travels at about 370 m/s whilst a sword tip travels at about 50 m/s. This arcane shield is developed to prevent anything from entering it travelling faster than 100 m/s and due to the nature of the shield the speed cannot be lowered otherwise it causes some issue or other, which is why people are swinging around swords to cause damage but pretty much rules out any form of long range attacks like guns?
not if the arcane shield stops the grenade fragments because they are travelling quicker than its threshold. If you read the forever war they have a variation of this with the dome generator in the penultimate act, where its basically hand weapons only within the dome.
No, I mean throw one inside. Not to mention most launchers have a slow speed. If the fields contain the blast, even better.
One thing I would like to know is how your magic system works with more details. What I know; everyone has it, they have a shield which varies in strength depending on the user, they need to active it, it is around the body and the living is able to penetrate it without trouble however objects aren't, magic does more damage to the shield than object but not necessarily in damage to the person, you can control the elements?, you can enhance weapons?, What I would like to know: Why can live things penetrate? Does this mean you could shoot a squirrel with a grenate in his tummy? How does magic influence matter? How does it do more damage? Are you able to control matter at distance? If so, can you control other persons blood circulations? With what I know now, you could make it that magically enhanced objects only remain so when held. So a bullet would lose it magically properties as soon it's fired. A firearm a close range wouldn't work because you could make the area around the body smaller. Meaning the literally have to put the gun against the body before firing, and than you still have the chance the person moves and you hit the shield. Making a sword better because as soon you make contact you slice the body. However, with more explanation we would be able to determine whether a gun would be good after all.
